ORIGIN STORIES
This major historical American conflict led directly to the creation of the holiday, as communities needed a way to honor the massive loss of life on both sides.
What is the American Civil War?
This specific 24-note military musical piece, played slowly on a bugle or trumpet, is performed at dusk, at funerals, and at remembrance ceremonies.
What is Taps?
Held every single Memorial Day weekend since 1911, this massive Indiana event is known as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
What is the Indianapolis 500 (or Indy 500)?
For millions of Americans, Memorial Day weekend is widely celebrated as the unofficial start of this season.
The grand finale of many Memorial Day weekend parades features this brass instrument playing "Taps,"
What is a trumpet (or bugle)?
Before it was legally changed by federal law, the holiday was widely known by this "floral" name because citizens would adorn graves with spring blossoms.
What is Decoration Day?
This vibrant red flower became a global symbol of wartime remembrance thanks to a famous poem written by a Canadian lieutenant-colonel during World War I.
What is the Poppy? (The poem is "In Flanders Fields")
This 1998 Steven Spielberg epic war film, starring Tom Hanks, opens and closes with a deeply moving, modern-day Memorial Day sequence at the Normandy American Cemetery.
What is Saving Private Ryan?
Statistically, this classic backyard cooking method peaks over Memorial Day weekend, making it the most popular weekend of the year for outdoor dining.
What is a barbecue (or grilling)?
According to federal holiday guidelines, this branch of the U.S. military organizes the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
What is the U.S. Army?
In 1868, General John A. Logan officially designated May 30th for the holiday. He chose this specific date not because of a battle, but because it was the optimal time of year for this natural occurrence across the country.
What is when flowers are in full bloom? (He wanted to ensure there were enough flowers nationwide to decorate graves).
Established by Congress in the year 2000, all Americans are encouraged to pause for the National Moment of Remembrance at exactly this local time on Monday afternoon.
The Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest and most grueling races in NASCAR, takes place every Memorial Day weekend in this southern city.
What is Charlotte, North Carolina?
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation officially declaring this village in New York as the "birthplace" of Memorial Day
What is Waterloo, New York?
In the standard structure of the American flag, this is the exact number of red stripes it features.
What is seven?
While many towns claim the title, this specific Union general and founder of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) is credited with issuing General Order No. 11, establishing the first national day of remembrance.
Who is General John A. Logan?
The tomb dedicated to unidentified fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During their march, the guard takes exactly how many steps across the black mat before pausing and turning?
What is 21 steps? (This signifies the 21-gun salute, which is the highest military honor).
In 1941, this legendary baseball slugger for the New York Yankees gave his iconic "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" farewell speech, but he tragically passed away on June 2nd, just one day after Memorial Day that same year.
Who is Lou Gehrig?
Thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by Congress, Memorial Day was permanently moved from its traditional fixed date of May 30th to this floating date format starting in 1971.
What is the last Monday in May?
This massive military cemetery in Washington, D.C., across the Potomac River from Arlington, was officially opened during the Civil War on land that once belonged to Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
What is Arlington National Cemetery?
In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act officially moved Memorial Day from May 30th to the last Monday in May. Name one of the other three federal holidays shifted to Mondays by this exact same act.
What is Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day), Labor Day, or Columbus Day? (Any of these three are correct)
While Memorial Day honors those who died in active service, this separate gold symbol is presented to the immediate family members of a fallen service member to signify their sacrifice. What is this specific symbol or star called?
What is a Gold Star? (Families are often referred to as Gold Star Families, a tradition dating back to World War I).
This massive free outdoor concert takes place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day, featuring celebrity performances and the National Symphony Orchestra.
What is the National Memorial Day Concert?
This patriotic song, often sung at Memorial Day weekend events, contains the famous lyric: "From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters."
What is "This Land Is Your Land"?
This Washington, D.C., monument features a long, reflective black granite wall inscribed with over 58,000 names of fallen service members and is heavily visited over Memorial Day weekend.
What is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?